Indigenous Committee

This committee is focused on multiple strategic priorities, aligned with Western’s Indigenous Strategic Plan, designed to foster a more inclusive and welcoming campus that supports Indigenous students, faculty, and staff, as well as Indigenous ways of knowing and learning.

With increases in commitments to decolonize (and Indigenize) our university environment, these calls for change highlight the need for all faculty and staff to be more knowledgeable and responsive to Indigenous learners’ realities, needs, and barriers.

As the Faculty of Health Science, it is our responsibility to find ways the faculty can address the 22nd and 23rd calls to action outlined in the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada (TRC), which call for the embedding of information and education on the impact of colonization on Indigenous health and wellbeing.

The FHS Indigenous Committee aims to create opportunities to collectively engage in learning and constructive dialogues surrounding ways to de-center euro-western ways of knowing and teaching, ensuring that the curriculum serves as a meaningful platform for learning, and respectfully honouring Indigenous ways of knowing and doing. By doing this work, our committee strives to make FHS a more receptive and open space for Indigenous peoples.

The Committee also aims to engage in ongoing critical reflection regarding the Committee's progress in being accountable to and fulfilling its goals. The Committee remains mindful of the nature and scope of its impact on students, staff, and faculty within the Faculty of Health Sciences.